Job Description

Job Purpose

As a Credit Hire Legal Advisor, you will be responsible for handling all aspects of defending litigated credit hire claims. This role requires a pragmatic commercial approach to settlements and advising clients on litigation and cost risks.

You will be expected to instruct Counsel, attend hearings, CMCs, and undertake telephone advocacy when appropriate. Additionally, you will ensure that clients are kept informed and up to date throughout the life of the claim.

Key Responsibilities

• Instruct Counsel, attend conferences, hearings and CMCs.
• Undertake telephone advocacy when appropriate, such as allocation hearings and CMCs.
• Take a pragmatic commercial approach to settlements and advising clients as to litigation and cost risks.
• Ensure any appropriate instructions are obtained from any relevant insurer or lay clients.
• Prioritise urgent schedule entries, daily tasks, and incoming post/emails.
• Build a rapport by speaking/meeting with clients when possible to ensure a consistency of service, minimise possibility of complaints and to ensure insurer’s loyalty to the Firm, and keep clients informed and up to date on a regular basis.
• Check the authenticity and validity of claims by speaking with clients regularly on potentially complex files.
• Ensure that any relevant insurer is kept updated and fully informed as to the progress of any claims to reduce any potential exposure/liability and to increase indemnity savings.
• Maintain proactive communication with clients to ensure all heads of claim are discussed with the client at the outset and throughout the claim.
• Obtain all relevant documentation from clients at the outset.
• Discuss liability and/or quantum offers with the relevant parties, making use of the telephone rather than letter/email whenever possible.
• Assist new or less experienced members of the team with any issues in terms of clients, referrers, external agencies and procedure.
• Liaise with Team Leaders and Head of Department to take more contentious files and deal with them under supervision to expand knowledge and experience.

Experience & Knowledge

• A Solicitor, CILEX-qualified lawyer or experienced file handler in credit hire.
• Proven track record of running a successful, fast-track and/or multi-track credit hire caseloads.
• Strong working knowledge of the CPR, relevant case law, and legislation.
• Ability to advise on RTA liability, quantum and causation.
• Understanding of insurer reserving philosophies.
• Ability to advise on and progress claims involving technical arguments, such as indemnity, RTA, Article 75 issues, resiling from admissions, and pursuing non-parties to litigation.
• Strong IT skills including MS Office, and Visual Files or similar CMS.
• Excellent client care, time management and organisational skills, with a calm and methodical approach.

Here at Carpenters group diversity and inclusion matters, it is integral to our culture and we welcome applications from everyone. We celebrate difference and believe in equal opportunities for all.

About us

We are one of the leading providers of insurance and legal services.

Here at Carpenters Group, we’ve been providing legal and insurance services across the UK for over 30 years.

We’ve grown from a small law firm into a 1500 people strong team made up of insurance professionals, legal experts and best in class corporate services, working across seven office locations.

We work in partnership with household name insurers to deliver a variety of fully outsourced claim solutions. We also represent individuals who need expert legal support.

As a great place to work our core values underpin how we behave. Our working environment is positive and informal, and we encourage people to work together to perform at their best.

We understand that our success as a business depends on the success of our people, which is why we invest in your training, development and social projects, helping everyone to connect and grow.

No matter what stage of your career, at Carpenters Group there is a place for you to achieve your potential.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working model
• 2 x Volunteering days to support charitable initiatives
• Matched Giving – up to £250 matched for personal charity fundraising for a registered charity
• Medicash cash plan – claim back dental / physio / optical appointments
• My Medicash App – including access to rapid digital physiotherapy and skin cancer screening assessments plus fitness videos and wellbeing tools
• Discounts and cash back on travel and shopping through Medicash extras
• Life Assurance Scheme (4 x salary)
• Pension scheme
• Travel Loan
• Active network of Wellbeing Champions – providing mental health support
• Training and development opportunities
• Funded social events to connect with your colleagues
• Dress for your day policy